This invention relates to a method of enabling access to data protected by firewall.
Communications networks can be broadly classified into public (or open) and private networks. Most computers are connected to the public network such as the internet and information on the public network is usually easily accessible. On the other hand, a private network is usually protected behind a firewall to prevent unauthorised access. Personal files and data are generally stored in private networks to ensure security and maintain a degree of privacy.
However, with the increased adoption of mobile communications and the internet, access to the private network via the public network is becoming increasingly commonplace.
To gain access to private networks, it is necessary to bypass or “punch through” the firewall. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) or Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal are some techniques which have been conceived to achieve this. However, such techniques have its disadvantages.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of enabling access to data protected by firewall to address the problem of the above prior art and/or to provide the public with a useful choice.
Reference in the specification is made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,433 titled “Automatic Hierarchical Categorization of Music By Metadata” which is assigned to Creative Technology Ltd. The reference is made in relation to a media file management application that will be mentioned in the section titled “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment”.